Beauty And The Beast
by DeathByDarkness13
Summary: "You must learn to love this child, as he is, in order to defeat the Nine-Tails. If still unloved and unaccepted by the boy's nineteenth year, the demon will be unleashed back on the village, and everything will be destroyed." There was seemingly no hope for the stone-hearted village... For who could ever learn to love a beast? NaruSasu. Based on the Disney classic.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or Disney.

This fanfic is loosely based off of the Disney classic, Beauty And The Beast, but with my own twist featuring Naruto and Sasuke. It was a random idea that came to me, and has the potential to be brilliant, so I hope I'm able to pull it off.

Warnings for yaoi (boyxboy). Rated M for a reason; aka expect some delicious lemons (my first ones!).

Here's the prologue; I hope you enjoy it.

The review button awaits ;)

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><p><strong>Beauty And The Beast<strong>

_Long ago, in a far-away land named after fire, was a small, bustling village called Konoha._

_The people of the village were always cheerful, going about their daily business in peace, and never having to deal with the pain and suffering caused by war. The men often rode merrily through the town on their stallions or spent their time hunting for their families, while the women were either found sewing beautiful, peasant-style dresses or baking sweet pastries. The warm smell of freshly baked bread constantly wafted through the air, as children were found playing by the fountain with the sheep. It wasn't a rich area, nor was it a poor one; everyone divided their earnings equally throughout the village. To the stranger's eye, the town was perfect._

_Until eighteen years ago when everything changed._

_One night, when the moon was full and the sky was as black as the ink of a quill, the peaceful village was attacked. The people were sore afraid, for what attacked them was a giant, hungry fox demon on a rampage. Its sinister red eyes seemed alight with fire, as its nine orange tails danced menacingly behind it. The evil aura of the creature permeated the air, filling the town with its blood-thirsty thoughts and intentions._

_"This village is mine," it growled ferociously, as its massive fangs dripped with saliva. Just as the beast prepared to massacre the entire village, a mysterious man, known only as Hokage by the villagers to symbolize his great power, asked the beast to halt._

_"Who are you?" The man asked the demon, and the demon responded in a bloodcurdling voice saying:_

_"I am the Great Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit, the demon of destruction." The man nodded calmly, and politely asked the great fox to leave Konoha alone. Of course, the demon did not oblige, for it hadn't eaten for nearly a hundred years. The Nine-Tails was offended, and began to roar angrily at the mysterious man._

_"You dare question my power?" It asked, its voice causing the ground to tremble and people to scream in terror. "I do not need permission, as I said, this village is mine now." The man was not shaken, and stared calmly and unwavering into the vivid red eyes of the demon._

_"Please save us, Hokage!" Voices shouted desperately throughout the village. The man obliged, and brought forth a baby boy; some say it was his own son, but no one can say for sure. Using his mystical powers, he sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox demon inside the body of the infant. It began to cry as a spiral shaped mark appeared on its tiny belly, and furious roars of the beast were silenced inside the new-born's body. The man known as Hokage collapsed to the ground, and spoke his final words to the watching villagers._

_"The demon has not yet been vanquished," he began in a worn voice, to the horror of the townspeople. "It is sealed within this baby boy. The only way it can be killed is by love; you must learn to love this child, as he is, in order to defeat the Nine-Tails. If still un-loved and unaccepted by the boy's nineteenth year, the demon will be unleashed back on the village, and everything will be destroyed." And with those final words, the Hokage died._

_No one in the village wanted to care for the infant, and it was treated harshly until it was just barely seven years old. Some people had even already tried to murder the demon-bearing child. The villagers believed that they were cunning, and could evade the horrible fate that their Hokage had bestowed upon them if they could not love the young demon boy. And so, they devised a plan, and banished him from the village, celebrating on the night he was finally gone out of their sights for good. They believed their problems to be solved, and their lives finally to be saved._

_The boy stumbled for days through the perilous woods on the outskirts of the town, until he came across an abandoned, enchanted castle. Having no where else to go, he made it his home. As the years passed by, the boy's features slowly became less human and more demonic, and his heart turned cold. Hatred for the village that had shunned him consumed his entire being. Day after day he waited, bitterly and hopelessly alone, for his fate when the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit would unleash its wrath on Konoha once more. There was seemingly no hope for the stone-hearted village..._

_For who could ever learn to love a beast?_


	2. Once Upon A Time

Wow, I'm actually so surprised at how well received the prologue for this was, I wasn't expecting like anyone to read it! *glomps readers* I am a very happy child. So here is chapter 2, the real beginning of the story, as chapter 1 was more like well, a prologue. THUS THE NAME! Anyways, here ya go.

Oh btw, Sasuke is not a woman in this fic, just making sure you know that... ;) This story is also quite different from the Disney version, though the basic theme is still there.

And also, the updates will be slow. Sorry. I'm working on other stories as well, and plus, I want this story to be the best it can be so please bare with me on that. This is also due to the length of the chapters; if you've read my other stories you'll notice that simply this one chapter is longer than any of my one-shots, which is kinda scary lol. But that means I'm improving! Well, with depth anyway.

Review for a tomato? Saucy Sasuke approves.

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><p><strong>Beauty And The Beast<strong>

_"It's not because you're not with me._

_It's because you never leave."_

_-Bring Me The Horizon (It Never Ends)_

"Kunichiwa, Sasuke!"

"Uchiha-san, nice to see you!"

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!"

The young, raven-haired man smiled politely, and waved back at all of the friendly villagers. As he continued down the street, hands shoved in the pockets of his beige slacks, the smile melted into a scowl. He gracefully stepped to the side, avoiding a large bucket of water being emptied on the street, and then joined the massive throng of villagers bustling through the frequently packed town.

People continued to wave as they passed him in greeting, the girls blushing and even some of the men as well. He skillfully avoided the carts of baked goods and horses passing through the main dirt path through the village. Walking swiftly, the raven finally came to a stop in front of an old friend's bakery. A man with golden blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail was busy taking some fresh buns out of the oven, setting the scorching tray on a shelf to cool. When he spotted the waiting Uchiha, he flashed a huge grin, his deep blue eyes twinkling.

"Sup Sasuke!" He asked brightly, running a hand through his long side bangs. Sasuke smirked.

"Same old, same old. How's business going today, Deidara?" The blonde man named Deidara pouted, causing Sasuke to chuckle.

"Busy as always," he muttered in annoyance. "Would it kill your brother to come and help me out once in a while?" Sasuke's older brother was good friends with Deidara, and usually helped out in the bakery whenever he could. But lately, Itachi was always pre-occupied with his own job. He was a writer and also owned the library in Konoha. Itachi often travelled around to get inspiration for his stories; learning about different legends and myths from neighbouring villages. When he was gone, Sasuke ran the library.

"He said he'd be here all next week," Sasuke reassured him, earning an approving smile from Deidara.

"Good. So, one loaf of bread and two pretzels?" Sasuke nodded, not even mildly surprised that the blonde already knew what he was here for. This was routine. Every morning, Sasuke would pick up a fresh loaf of bread and two pretzels for him and his brother. He'd drop the food off at the Uchiha house, and then train outside in their massive backyard for pretty much the whole day. Sasuke had a gift for sword-fighting. Before supper, he'd pick up his elder brother at the library, and then they'd eat together at their table. It was a very repetitive way of living.

"Here ya go!" Deidara exclaimed brightly, handing him the bag of fresh-baked goods. "Tell your bastard brother I say hey." Sasuke nodded and thanked him before setting off back to his home. He walked quickly, a barely contained frustration lingering in his liquid black eyes, and he clutched the brown bag tighter. Sasuke was getting tired of living like this, where everyday was the same and nothing exciting or interesting or new ever happened. He loathed his life's stupid routine, and longed for something else... something more. For what, the raven wasn't quite sure yet.

"There must be more than this provincial life," Sasuke muttered, deep in thought as he fumbled to open the door with the large bag in his pale, slender hands. When he finally got the door to swing open, he let out a sigh. "I wonder if I'll ever find whatever it is that I'm looking for." He set the bag on the counter and walked towards the back door, an annoyed scowl on his face. Sasuke was pissed.

He stripped off his grey vest and red tie, then quickly unbuttoned his crisp, white dress shirt and threw it to the side. Grabbing his long, sharp katana, Sasuke made his way to their private backyard and began to swing it around skillfully. The raven squatted down, and made a graceful slice through the air. He then spun around and jabbed forward, obsidian eyes fierce. They were the eyes of a boy who had been forced to grow up a little too fast.

Deep down, Sasuke knew that there was more to his desire to leave Konoha. There were things that had happened here that he didn't want to remember, that he wanted to forget. Memories that he wished could be burnt from his mind permanently.

Like the day he lost his parents. Or the day his brother left. Or the day his best friend went missing.

Every one of those memories held an immense amount of pain and suffering that Sasuke never wanted to feel again. It hurt too much. Well, his brother was here now at least, so that memory wasn't so hard to bear. But the day his parents had died- Sasuke stabbed a nearby tree roughly- that was something that had changed the raven-haired boy forever. And then on top of all that pain, Naruto had gone missing. He hadn't been seen for almost twelve years. Sasuke stabbed the ground hard and fell to his knees, face covered in shadow and jet-black bangs.

_Stupid Usuratonkachi..._

He didn't want to think about this. Not now, not ever again. It was too painful. Sasuke forced his emotions down again and stood back up. He would not show weakness, not even when he was by himself. Easily lifting his sword from where it was embedded into the soft, green grass, he continued to practice. When the day finally came that he could leave Konoha for good, he would be prepared. _I'm not gonna live this crappy, boring life forever._ After a long day of perfecting a few new techniques with his katana, a sweaty but refreshed Sasuke headed back inside as the sun setting behind him began to cast a warm, orange shadow across the house.

He padded softly to the bathroom to run the bath. As the tub slowly began to fill with hot water, Sasuke stripped off the rest of his clothing. He sighed contentedly as he slid into the sizzling tub, letting his body slouch down low so that the water came up to his mouth. He closed his eyes, and let himself relax. Bathing had a soothing, calming effect on the raven that allowed him to think clearly and rationally without getting too worked up. It also just felt so refreshing to be clean. Sasuke couldn't understand why people didn't bathe very often in this century when it felt so dang good.

Snatching a bar of soap off the tub's rim, he gently began to cleanse his sweaty skin. When he had finished, he grabbed some sweet-smelling shampoo and started lathering it in his jet-black hair. As he dipped his head under the water's surface to rinse it out, he let his thoughts take over.

Sasuke couldn't help it; memories of his best friend flooded his mind. It hurt to remember, but he knew that it would hurt even more to forget. He winced, a few bubbles rising to the surface as the day they first met replayed over in his head.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_"Why don't you go out and play, Sasuke dear?"_

_The little raven turned his head stubbornly away from his mother._

_"No."_

_Mikoto Uchiha sighed._

_"Okay, well your father and I will be gone for a few days. Itachi will be here if you need anything," she told him, gently kissing his soft black hair. "Be good." Sasuke watched his mother walk out the door, feeling lonely. He ventured out to the backyard, flopping down into the tall, green grass. He didn't like playing with the other children. The girls just fawned all over him and were beyond annoying, while the boys didn't seem to like him much because of his popularity. But he didn't want it. He just wanted a friend that liked him for him, and didn't make goo-goo eyes or expect him to be a walking legend like his genius older brother._

_His small body tensed as a nearby bush rustled suspiciously. He cocked an eyebrow wearily._

_"Who's there?"_

_Just then, somebody jumped out of the bushes, startling the young Uchiha. It was a boy around Sasuke's age, with a mess of bright blonde hair and the most brilliant blue eyes Sasuke had ever seen. The boy peered curiously at Sasuke._

_"What the- who the heck are you? And where did you come from?" Sasuke demanded. The blonde boy backed up a bit, looking slightly afraid. There were bruises on the boy's skin, and he looked filthy. Sasuke suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He tentatively took a step closer to the frightened blonde, and tried again. "Sorry, that was impolite. I'm Sasuke, what's your name?"_

_The blonde boy scanned Sasuke with uncertainty at first, but then reached out his hand and grinned._

_"I'm Naruto," the boy told him proudly. Sasuke took Naruto's hand, surprised at how fast he was trusted, and peered at the kid with concern. He turned over the calloused hand in his own, his eyes roaming over the bruises and cuts marring the tan skin._

_"What happened to you?" Sasuke whispered in horror. Naruto grimaced and pulled his hand away, eyes downcast._

_"The villagers," Naruto replied quietly._

_"They did this?" Sasuke asked in shock and disgust. "But why?" Naruto shook his head sadly._

_"I don't know, I've always been treated this way." Sasuke placed a hand gently on Naruto's scarred cheek, causing the surprised blonde to blush._

_"Don't you have a family?" he asked hesitantly._

_"No, I've always been alone," Naruto answered, glancing at the ground again. Sasuke's obsidian eyes widened with pity._

_"I'm sorry," he mumbled pathetically. Naruto shook his head again, smiling this time._

_"Don't worry about it. Besides, you're the first person I've met who didn't try to hurt me, and that makes me very happy." Naruto wrapped his arms around the little Uchiha's waist, pulling him into a warm embrace. Sasuke blushed, surprised at the physical contact, but hesitantly hugged the blonde back. When they separated, Sasuke took Naruto's hands and fixed him with a determined stare._

_"Why don't you come inside, I can help you get cleaned up," he told him gently. Naruto grinned brightly._

_"Okay!"_

_Sasuke pulled him inside the house, dragging him down the hallway to run the bath without even bothering to ask Itachi if Naruto could come in. They stripped off their clothes and slipped into the lukewarm water together. Naruto giggled at the fluffy-looking bubbles coating the warm, clean bath water, and blew a handful at a surprised Sasuke. The raven laughed adorably, splashing some water on Naruto's dirty face for payback. He then snatched a bar of soap and helped Naruto clean himself off._

_"Does it sting?" Sasuke asked the blonde quietly, while cautiously scrubbing his back. Naruto shook his head, and turned his face slightly to smile at the young Uchiha._

_"Nope, it feels nice," he replied brightly. Sasuke rinsed the soap off of Naruto's freshly cleaned tan skin, and stared at the boy's body in shock. His skin was flawless. The cuts and bruises that had been there only minutes before were gone. Sasuke blinked in surprise, but decided to think nothing of it. He just heals really fast, so what?_

_He coated his hands with some vanilla-scented shampoo, and began to lather it in Naruto's thick blonde hair._

_"Duck your head under to rinse out the shampoo," Sasuke instructed when he was done. Naruto nodded, and slipped the rest of his body into the bath water. He was under the surface longer than Sasuke was comfortable with. The raven glanced down worriedly._

_"Oi Naruto, are you al- AH!" That's when a hand snaked around Sasuke's ankle and pulled him under. Naruto grinned mischievously at Sasuke through the clear water, and then proceeded to tickle him. Sasuke gasped, letting precious oxygen bubbles escape as he laughed his heart out, nearly wetting himself underwater. They both came up for air, Sasuke whacking Naruto on the head with a bar of soap._

_"You Usuratonkachi!" Naruto rubbed his head, and stuck out his tongue childishly back at Sasuke._

_"Bastard," he retorted, a malicious smile on his face. They both climbed out of the tub, Sasuke grabbing some fresh white towels from under the bathroom sink. He wrapped one around Naruto's shoulders, and the other around himself, then drained the tub. Naruto raised the fluffy towel, and started to ruffle his hair, when Sasuke noticed something else that was odd about the boy._

_"Hey, Usuratonkachi… what's this?"_

_Sasuke had placed his hand lightly over Naruto's flat stomach, where there was an intricate, spiral tattoo covering his belly-button area. Naruto blushed slightly at the personal question, and put a hand over Sasuke's._

_"I'm not sure," he replied honestly, staring into Sasuke's confused black orbs. "But I've had it for as long as I can remember." Sasuke opened his mouth to comment, when the door to the bathroom swung inward. Itachi stood at the door, staring in mild amusement and surprise at the two naked seven year-olds._

_"Hey, little brother, who's this?" the elder Uchiha asked curiously._

_"His name's Naruto," Sasuke replied, a little protectively. He grabbed Naruto's hand. "He's my friend."_

_"Don't worry Sasuke, I won't tell mother and father." Itachi smiled kindly at the little blonde boy, and ruffled his hair. "I'm Itachi, Sasuke's older brother." Naruto smiled back, ecstatic about all the kindness he was receiving that day._

_"Niisan, can you please get us some clothes?" Sasuke asked politely. Itachi nodded, and began to turn away._

_"Sure thing little brother, remember to dry yourselves off well." As Sasuke and Naruto began to dry themselves off with their towels, Itachi came back in and handed them some of Sasuke's clothes. He glanced at Naruto, thinking hard._

_"Hey Sasuke, why don't we let Naruto stay for dinner?" he offered. Sasuke smiled at the surprised Naruto._

_"Really? Can I?" Naruto asked in awe. Itachi chuckled at his expression._

_"I don't see why not." Naruto beamed, taking the black t-shirt Sasuke was offering to him, and slipped it on, the Uchiha family crest branded on the front._

_For the first time in his life, Naruto felt like he truly belonged._

_. . ._

_That night, after Naruto had supposedly gone 'home', Sasuke heard a knock at his bedroom window. He yawned, rolling drowsily out of bed to open it, revealing an excited-looking Naruto perched on the sill. Sasuke rubbed his eyes in disbelief as Naruto hopped down, landing lightly in his darkened room._

_"Baka, do you know what time it is?" Sasuke asked in slight annoyance. Naruto grinned sheepishly._

_"Sorry Sasuke, but I was wondering…" He hesisated, looking down at his feet. "Um, is it okay if I sleep here tonight?" Sasuke blinked in surprise, suddenly more awake now. For a long moment, he just stared at Naruto, who was becoming increasingly uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by. Just as Naruto decided that maybe he should just leave, Sasuke rolled his eyes and grabbed his hand._

_"You're such an Usuratonkachi," he commented sleepily. "You should have just said so after supper." Naruto smiled gratefully, and let Sasuke lead him to his big, comfy bed. He slipped under the thick, blue blankets with the drowsy Uchiha, and snuggled close to him. Sasuke seemed to go out like a light, nuzzling his forehead against Naruto's as he breathed deep and evenly in sleep. Naruto smiled tenderly at his new friend, and gently kissed him on the cheek._

_"Thanks Sasuke, for everything," he murmured, quickly drifting off into a slumber of his own. Sasuke peeked an eye open, and lightly pressed a finger to his cheek where Naruto had just kissed him. He cuddled closer to the blonde for warmth, smiling contentedly as his eyes fluttered closed._

_"Anytime, idiot," Sasuke whispered, before letting the darkness take over._

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Sasuke drained the bath water, and stepped out of the tub. He grabbed a light blue towel from a rack by the sink, and proceeded to dry himself off. His deep, onyx eyes were downcast, full of pain from remembering. Not to mention he was standing in the place where part of the memory had happened. He sighed in frustration as he began to shake out his midnight locks, the back spiking out like it always did. His brother often referred to his hairstyle as a chicken butt, which did not impress Sasuke in the slightest. Pulling on a clean black dress shirt and some khaki-coloured slacks, he walked swiftly to the door, wrapping a black cloak tightly around his shoulders. It was time to pick up his brother from the library.

Sasuke wandered through the darkening street, keeping his head low, hoping to avoid any creeps that came out around night-time. His mind was on a rampage; bursting at the seams with thoughts and memories of Naruto. He clenched his fist tightly as another memory began to replay itself inside of Sasuke's head.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_"Ngh… Sasuke… Too fast…" Naruto panted._

_Sasuke chuckled, peering down at the blonde lying sprawled in the grass. They had been playing tag until Naruto collapsed from exhaustion, unable to touch Sasuke. He crawled on top of him, straddling Naruto's exhausted body. The raven smirked._

_"I think you're just too slow," he murmured provokingly, mouth hovering right next to Naruto's ear. "Dobe."_

_Naruto growled, grabbing Sasuke's shoulders to flip them both over so that now Naruto was on top. He grinned triumphantly down at the stunned Sasuke. The little Uchiha huffed, interlacing his fingers with Naruto's and wrestled him to the side. They rolled around in the grass, throwing weak punches at each other until they were both flat on their backs, panting exhaustedly. After a long moment of just watching the clouds in companionable silence, Sasuke sat up and glanced at Naruto. They locked eyes, the corners of their mouths turning up into content smiles._

_Neither could imagine a life where the other didn't exist._

_Absentmindedly, Sasuke started to play with a lock of Naruto's soft, blonde hair._

_"Are you hungry?" he asked in amusement, suppressing a giggle when he heard a low rumble come from the blonde's tummy. Naruto laughed, his sunny cheeks slightly tinted pink._

_"I'm always hungry, Teme." Sasuke chuckled, ruffling his hair one more time before standing up._

_"I'll be right back, then," Sasuke told him briefly. He wandered back into his house and headed for the kitchen, but as he approached the entryway, he froze in his tracks. "Umm…"_

_Itachi currently had his lips locked with Deidara's, who was sitting on their wooden counter with his legs hooked around Itachi's waist. They broke apart as Sasuke approached them cautiously._

_"What's up, little brother?" Itachi asked nonchalantly, but there was a hint of amusement in his tone. Deidara was grinning hugely behind the older Uchiha, his legs dangling off the countertop._

_"But… but- but I thought you guys were just friends," Sasuke spluttered in confusion. Itachi chuckled, and Deidara grinned impossibly wider, a mysterious glint in his deep blue eyes._

_"We are," Deidara responded, playfully tugging a strand of Itachi's straight, black hair._

_"Then all friends do that?" Sasuke asked in amazement, referring to the kiss he had just witnessed. Itachi leaned over Deidara's legs, and smiled at his younger brother._

_"If there is mutual love," Itachi began cheekily. "Then the answer is yes." Sasuke stood there thoughtfully for a moment before nodding in understanding, and then turned to leave, forgetting to grab Naruto a snack._

_"Okay, thanks niisan!" he exclaimed with a cute smile before dashing back outside. Back in the kitchen, Deidara and Itachi shared a mischievous, knowing grin._

_Naruto sat up when he heard Sasuke's approaching footsteps. He groaned when he noticed that Sasuke was also empty-handed._

_"Sasukeee, are you trying to starve me?" he whined playfully, tugging on the raven's white shorts as he came to stand in front of him._

_"I wanted to ask you something first," Sasuke replied hesitantly. He plopped down into the blonde's lap, straddling his legs. They were only seven years old, so neither one noticed the intimate position they were currently in._

_Sasuke stared into Naruto's big, aqua blue eyes, his expression curious. "We're friends, right?"_

_"Best friends, actually," Naruto corrected him with an amused smile. "Though you can be a bastard every now and then." Sasuke chuckled, but then got serious again. He bit his lip, and forced himself to ask the question that he'd secretly been thinking about since he and Naruto had met._

_"Do you love me?" he asked softly._

_Naruto looked genuinely surprised by the question, and stared at Sasuke for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. He pulled the Uchiha into a crushing bear hug, his voice muffled against Sasuke's shirt._

_"Of course I love you, Sasuke," he answered sincerely. "You mean everything to me." Sasuke was shocked, but recovered quickly. His pale face lit up with a beautiful smile._

_"Good, 'cause I love you too, even though you're an Usuratonkachi."_

_They broke the embrace, huge grins etched onto both of their faces. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wondering how Itachi and Deidara had done whatever they were doing in the kitchen so naturally. Wasn't that what a real kiss was? It looked kind of gross, but if that's what best friends do, shouldn't he and Naruto try it, too?_

_"Hey Naruto, should we kiss?" Sasuke asked bluntly. Naruto's jaw dropped, his cheeks flushing pink again._

_"Wha-wha-WHAAAT?" he spluttered, not believing what he had just heard._

_"Niisan says that that's what best friends do when they love each other," Sasuke replied simply. Naruto's brow creased deep in thought, dumfounded because Itachi was always right in the child's eyes._

_"Oh, I thought only adults did that sort of thing," Naruto muttered in puzzlement. "Yeah, I swear it's only, like, lovers. Wait, but we're not lovers, are we?" Sasuke frowned, his cheeks slightly pink as well as he pondered this._

_"We're only seven, so I don't think that's even legal," he answered seriously. "But will we be lovers when we're older?" Naruto pouted, thinking hard._

_"Well, that would make the most sense. I wanna be with you forever, and you said you loved me, so maybe we should just get, umm… betrieved… betrold? …" Naruto's brow creased in irritation. "What's that word?"_

_"Betrothed?" Sasuke offered with a smirk. Naruto's face lit up._

_"Yeah, that's it!" he exclaimed. Sasuke chuckled._

_"Let's make a promise then," Sasuke murmured, linking two fingers with two of Naruto's. It was their handshake, their sign of friendship and loyalty to each other. They also used it to make promises, ensuring that they would absolutely be kept. "We'll marry each other when we grow up." Naruto broke into his signature grin._

_"Deal."_

_"So, do you wanna kiss now?" Sasuke asked calmly. Naruto shrugged his shoulders._

_"I guess its good practice, and I think what we just did counts as a proposal," Naruto replied contentedly. Sasuke nodded in agreement and leaned in, his lips pressing gently against Naruto's. They kept their eyes open, staring uncertainly at each other, unsure of what exactly to do._

_"Now what?" Naruto asked comically against Sasuke's lips. The little Uchiha furrowed his brow, trying to remember what his older brother had done in the kitchen with Deidara._

_"I think you're supposed to open your mouth slightly and close your eyes," Sasuke mumbled back. They both did as he had said. As their eyes fluttered closed, their mouths opened slightly and began to move against each other. Naruto hugged Sasuke tight around the waist, while Sasuke put his arms around Naruto's shoulders to keep himself anchored. It felt weird, but also kind of nice._

_Naruto licked Sasuke's bottom lip, startling the raven and causing him to break the kiss. His ivory face flushed pink._

_"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked in an odd voice._

_"I dunno, I saw some people in the village kissing and they used tongue," Naruto answered simply, shrugging. "I thought I'd try it, since we're experimenting." Sasuke rolled his eyes in amusement._

_"It kind of felt like… like…" Sasuke trailed off, unable to find words to describe and express exactly what they just did._

_"Like we were eating each other's faces?" Naruto added helpfully._

_Sasuke bopped Naruto lightly on the head, causing him to grunt unhappily._

_"It was just strange… but right somehow," Sasuke explained, more to himself than anything. Naruto flashed him a coy grin._

_"You taste good," he said cheekily. Sasuke's eyes widened and another blush coated his cheeks, earning a chuckle from Naruto._

_"S-so do you," Sasuke replied in a quiet voice, his lower lip jutting out stubbornly. Naruto smiled and started to absentmindedly play with Sasuke's fringe. The raven blinked, and then allowed his lips to curve up in return. A sudden burst of boldness made Sasuke lean forward and kiss Naruto again._

_"Someone's eager," Naruto commented with a laugh, not at all surprised at his best friend's assertiveness. Sasuke smirked._

_"Practice makes perfect."_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Sasuke pressed two fingers to his lips in a daze. _I wonder if I ever see him again… if he'd remember such a childish promise…_

He continued down the darkening street, feeling a little gloomier than usual. What had happened to Naruto, anyway? He had become such a vital part of Sasuke's life, a ray of sunshine in a dark, lonely, boring routine life of living in his brother's shadow. And ever since he had disappeared, things had gotten even worse than they were before. Where had he gone? Did he run away? Or was he…

"Sasuke, what a pleasant surprise."

Sasuke shivered at the bloodcurdling voice, picking up the pace in hopes to avoid an encounter with the creepiest man in the entire village.

"Hey Uchiha, show some respect when Lord Orochimaru is talking to you," said another voice. Sasuke gritted his teeth in irritation, and turned around to face his doom; in other words, more sexual harassment. A tall, creepy snake-like man slithered up behind him, his long, greasy black hair concealing half of his gaunt face. Sasuke shuddered inwardly as he felt a hand press firmly to his lower back.

"Why so cold, Sasuke? I just merely wanted to say hello," Orochimaru hissed seductively. Sasuke twisted away from the hand which had been creeping lower and lower down his body. He shot the pedophile an icy glare.

"Sorry, but I don't have the time," Sasuke replied abruptly, starting to walk away. "Good day." A hand gripping the back of his cloak prevented him from moving any farther.

"Not so fast, Sasuke," Orochimaru cooed, a malicious smile dancing across his frightening face. His loyal servant, a devious man named Kabuto, watched them with an infuriating sneer on his face. Orochimaru licked his lips hungrily, his predatorial eyes staring into Sasuke's defiant ones. "You shouldn't be out so late at night, all alone; you never know what kind of ghouls you'll find lurking around every corner." Kabuto adjusted his large, round glasses and fixed Sasuke with a confident smirk.

"No weapon either," he tsked. "Shameful for an Uchiha; you're making abducting you so easy-"

"Oh really?"

Sasuke sighed in relief as a familiar figure appeared before them, glaring angrily at the two men. The new arrival pulled Sasuke away from them, and stepped protectively in front of the younger raven.

"Stay away from my little brother, you filthy bastards," Itachi Uchiha growled in a dangerous tone, before pushing Orochimaru to the ground.

"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto gasped, rushing to help his master out of the mud. Orochimaru glanced up, tendrils of oily black hair falling across his face, as he shot them both a deadly, sinister smile.

"Mark my words, Sasuke," he purred, a long, snake-like tongue flitting across his pale bottom lip. "Sooner or later, you will be mine." Sasuke felt a chill as he watched them disappear into the shadows. Itachi put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, instantly calming him down.

"Thanks niisan," Sasuke whispered gratefully, sighing in relief. If he hadn't have came when he did… Sasuke didn't even want to think of what would be happening to him.

"No problem, and don't worry," Itachi told him confidently. "I'll never let them hurt you, Sasuke." He gave the younger man's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, before they set off back home. They walked in comfortable silence. The Uchiha brothers weren't exactly men of many words, and spoke more through their eyes than anything else; call it brotherly intuition. So the silence wasn't new. The sun had nearly slipped completely under the horizon, its warm, orange haze peeking just over the landscape in the distance.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Itachi randomly exclaimed, a mischievous glint in his eye. Sasuke watched his older brother rummage through his bag suspiciously. "Aha!" He held out an old-looking storybook to Sasuke, who took it in surprise. "I know you like fairytales and fantasy stories, so when I saw this come in at the library I thought of you." Sasuke let a small smile grace his features, and he gave his elder brother an appreciative nod.

"Thanks," he replied gratefully. He ran his fingers along the worn, leather spine, his gut full of anticipation at what the book had in store. Sasuke preferred to live in his books and story worlds rather than reality, something he shared in common with Itachi. It was just so much more interesting than living in Konoha, the most boring village on the planet in Sasuke's eyes. He almost wished he could enter one of his storybooks and stay there, living a life full of adventure and fantasy. Another thing that he envied about fiction was the fact that they all seemed to have happy endings. In reality, happy endings were just a myth. Sasuke had learned the hard way that life wasn't perfect, and had lost all hope of ever having a happy ending. It just wouldn't happen, not when the person he had loved most had mysteriously disappeared from the face of the earth without a trace. And that's what was most depressing about Sasuke's situation. Had all of the horrible things in his life not happened, Sasuke could've ended up happy. Heck, he could've legitimately ended up marrying Naruto. But no, life enjoyed crapping on him.

When they finally reached their house, Itachi went to take a bath while Sasuke was left to prepare supper. Spreading out some ingredients on the counter, he began to set to work, making one of his specialty meals: nikujaga. It had been one of their mother's best dishes. When she died, Sasuke took it upon himself to learn how to cook. He had no choice in the matter really, since he had been forced to live alone for a while. That had been the darkest time in Sasuke's life. He began carefully slicing some potatoes, dropping them into a pot on the stove. _What's wrong with me today?_ Sasuke thought curiously._ I'm usually good at suppressing these memories and emotions…_

"Hey Sasuke." Itachi walked in, his long, black hair was loose and dripping water from the ends. He affectionately ruffled Sasuke's hair, and glanced down at what was being made. "Can I help with anything?"

"No, it's fine," Sasuke answered quietly, adding spices to the steaming pot of sliced potatoes. "I've cooked enough times to know exactly what I'm doing." The younger Uchiha became busy with preparing the meat, and so he didn't notice the flash of sadness and regret that briefly crossed his older brother's eyes. Itachi gently pushed a stray strand of blue-black hair from Sasuke's face, before seating himself at their wooden table. He smiled wistfully to himself, watching his younger brother take out some vegetables and start chopping them up while the meat simmered in a pan.

"You know… you'd make a good housewife," Itachi commented nonchalantly. Sasuke visibly tensed, and the hand gripping the knife cutting vegetables began to shake slightly. The younger raven forced himself to relax, and tried to form a witty response, or say something, anything, but what he was actually thinking deep inside.

"That's funny coming from the guy with a ponytail," Sasuke responded gravely. "And besides, don't you mean husband?" He snuck a quick glance at Itachi, and immediately wished he hadn't. There was pity in those eyes, and Sasuke couldn't stand it. Something inside him snapped. "Don't look at me like that! It's hard enough to even think about that dobe; do you think reminders are going to help?" Itachi flinched, and Sasuke whipped his head back around to focus on supper. His obsidian eyes burned, brimming with traitorous tears.

"I'm truly sorry, Sasuke. I didn't mean it like that," Itachi murmured apologetically. Sasuke normally had such precise control over his emotions, and very rarely lost his cool. _All those years of suppressing that pain must be catching up to him now,_ Itachi thought sadly. Sasuke let out a shaky sigh, his shoulders sagging.

"No brother, I apologize for snapping at you. It's been a long day." Sasuke slowly began stirring the potatoes, and added a little more salt. "Oh, and Deidara's been asking for you." Itachi perked up a little at that, a small smile slipping onto his face. Sasuke allowed himself a half-hearted smirk.

"It really has been a while since I've helped him at the bakery, looks like I owe him," Itachi said in amusement. Sasuke took the freshly-cooked meat out of its pan and began slicing. Hesitantly, he turned to peer at his older brother, uncertainty dancing across his face.

"Itachi… you and Deidara have been together for a long time. So, why-"

"Why don't we just get married?" Itachi finished Sasuke's question for him. "It's simple, really. I'm always travelling, which would be difficult for a newly-married couple. And it just isn't the right time, not yet." Sasuke nodded thoughtfully as he took out two plates for him and his brother. He loaded the plates with equal servings of meat, potatoes, and vegetables, and then carried them to the table. The brothers ate in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. When they were done, Itachi thanked Sasuke for making supper and excused himself from the table. Sasuke got up as well, and began cleaning up the mess. He looked up in surprise to see Itachi gingerly putting on his black and red cloak.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sasuke asked in confusion. Itachi flashed him an apologetic smile.

"I have to head to one of the smaller, neighbouring villages deep in the forest tonight to study a myth originating there. I should be back before supper tomorrow," he added, giving Sasuke a quick hug. "I'll be taking Nightshade, as well." Nightshade was the Uchiha family's horse, a beautiful, well-trained black stallion that could get you wherever you needed in a flash. He was fast, strong, and loyal- not to mention a special member of the family in the Uchiha brother's eyes. Sasuke stared up at his brother, slight worry creasing his brow. Travelling at night in the forest wasn't necessarily a wise decision, even if this was Itachi Uchiha and Nightshade we're talking about.

"Alright, just… be careful," Sasuke told him sternly. His older brother's mouth turned up in a sad smile; he hated having to leave Sasuke after all the boy had been through in his life. Itachi gently poked his younger brother in the forehead with two fingers, something that he had done even when they were little kids. Sasuke peered up at him with a slightly annoyed expression.

"Sorry Sasuke," Itachi whispered automatically, before turning around to head outside. He brought out Nightshade by the reins from their little stable, and glanced back at Sasuke before mounting the horse. _Be safe, little brother,_ Itachi thought gently before galloping off on the trail leading into the forest. Sasuke watched him disappear into the dark, thick canopy of trees, feeling hollow inside. It wasn't a new feeling; it was the familiar feel of loneliness.

"Bye niisan," Sasuke murmured quietly into the silence of the night, as the wind whistled lightly through his hair. He ventured back inside, shutting the door, and gripped his face with one hand harder than necessary. Watching his brother leave like that again caused more haunting memories to resurface, and also reminded him of the last time he had seen Naruto. It had been the same then; watching him slowly disappear from view as a terrible, empty feeling filled his gut. Sasuke winced at the memory, now forcefully playing over in his mind.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_"Naruto, your arm…" Sasuke trailed off as he gaped in horror at the ugly, hand-shaped bruise covering the top of Naruto's right arm. His wide, shimmering black eyes bore into Naruto's, reflecting pain, and asking a silent question as to why his best friend had to suffer like this. It just wasn't fair. Naruto grimaced at the intense look of concern shining in Sasuke's face, the raven's lower lip trembling slightly._

_"Don't worry about it Teme, I'm used to it," Naruto tried to reassure him, but was unsuccessful. His words seemed to cut the little Uchiha even more._

_"That's exactly why I'm worried," Sasuke said in a strangled whisper. "You don't deserve this kind of treatment, nobody does!" He squeezed his eyes shut, his whole body shaking now as he tried to hold back the tears that threatened to burst. Naruto smiled sadly, and took a step closer to Sasuke, placing a small, bleeding hand to his companion's now wet face. He rubbed his thumb soothingly over the soft, pale skin, and then wrapped his arms around the raven's shoulders protectively. Sasuke hiccupped, sobbing into Naruto's neck as he wrapped his own arms around the blonde, hugging him tight. They stayed that way for a while, Naruto gently stroking the soft, blue-black hair spiking out at the back of Sasuke's head._

_He hated seeing his best friend cry._

_"Sasuke…" Naruto murmured hesitantly. "I have to go." Sasuke pulled back enough to press his forehead against Naruto's, staring at him with large, confused black eyes._

_"Why?" he asked in a small voice._

_"The head villagers need to meet with me about something," Naruto replied, a hopeful smile forming on his face. "Maybe they want to apologize!" His cerulean blue eyes betrayed the smile. Sasuke bit his lip, looking panic-stricken. If they can mercilessly beat up a 7 year old child on a regular basis, there's no way they'd want to apologize now, Sasuke thought helplessly._

_"Let me come with you," Sasuke said firmly, a hint of desperation in his voice. Naruto's face darkened._

_"No," he replied immediately, gazing at Sasuke protectively. "They might hurt you, too, and I won't allow that." Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration, punching Naruto roughly in the face._

_"Ouch! What the he- mmph!" Naruto gasped in surprise, dropping a hand from his throbbing, scarred cheek when Sasuke suddenly kissed him on the lips. He relaxed into the Uchiha's soft touch, Sasuke's taste flowing into Naruto's mouth. Naruto kissed back, only one thought running through his suddenly blank mind: that they were getting pretty dang good at this. Well, as good as 7 years olds can get at kissing._

_Finally they stopped, but their lips were still lightly touching. They gazed into each other's eyes, nothing but innocent love shining through._

_"Be careful," Sasuke murmured worriedly against Naruto's lips. "And promise me you'll come back after." Naruto closed his eyes, touched at how much Sasuke cared for him. They linked their two fingers together, making it official._

_"I will," Naruto replied sincerely, grinning affectionately as he let go of Sasuke. He started to run back through the forest to get to the village, but stopped just before disappearing behind the thick brush. "Bye, Sasuke-teme!" he called, waving his arm frantically before vanishing into the tall trees. Sasuke waved back a little too late, a worried frown on his adorable face. He rubbed at his tear-stained cheek, his heart heavy, and sniffed._

_Why do I feel like I'm never going to see him again?_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Naruto never did return. Sasuke had waited there until dark, until he was dragged inside by a very worried Itachi. He remembered sobbing into his brother's arms, and not getting any sleep that night. Every day Sasuke had waited for Naruto to come back, but after a month, he began to lose hope. He became lonely again, his life going back to almost exactly the way it was before. Itachi and Deidara tried to comfort Sasuke, as they missed the loud blonde as well, but it was futile. And then only a few months later his parents died and Itachi left, and Sasuke was left completely alone.

Sasuke sunk down to the floor, resting his forehead on his knees in anguish at the memories plaguing his mind. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, looking up shakily.

_No, stop being such a baby. Itachi will be back tomorrow just like he said; everything'll be fine._

Sasuke stood up and walked back into the kitchen some-what reassured, plucking a ripe tomato off the counter for comfort. He bit into it reverently, savouring the sweet juices as his mouth bursted with flavour.

"Nothing will happen, this is Itachi we're talking about," Sasuke said confidently around a mouthful of the bright red fruit, finally convinced.

Oh, how wrong he was.

* * *

><p>Nightshade trotted swiftly through the twisted branches, moving effortlessly through the dark forest. Itachi held the lantern close to the map he was holding, trying to figure out where to go next.<p>

"Slow down boy," Itachi said quietly, gently patting the horse's neck. "I think we took a wrong turn back there." He used the reins to guide Nightshade back the way they came. An icy breeze ghosted down the dark forest path, lifting Itachi's equally dark ponytail and causing the strands to dance in the wind. The man shivered slightly, sensing that there was something very wrong. And that's when an ear-splitting howl filled the air.

"That can't be good," Itachi muttered in agitation. He flicked the reins as soon as he heard more howls mixed with a chorus of barks and snarls, the sound seeming to get louder. Nightshade galloped through the trees, his movements panicked as both horse and rider realized that they were being pursued… by wolves.

Itachi slapped the horse's behind a little harder than necessary, urging him to run faster. Dark shapes could be seen sprinting behind them in the shadows, and one had even gotten close enough that Itachi could see its sharp, menacing fangs dripping with saliva. They ran and ran for what seemed like forever, until finally the shadows that had been hunting them began to disappear, falling behind the quick pace of the Uchiha's trusted horse. Itachi let out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. Nightshade suddenly reared up in terror, and Itachi's eyes widened in disbelief as he glanced at what had nearly been his untimely death. They had nearly run off the end of a cliff. Nightshade continued to thrash around, rearing back even more enough to throw Itachi completely off of his back. Itachi tried to tame him, but his attempt was unsuccessful. The spooked horse kicked out in fright, catching Itachi hard in the eyes with its hooves. The Uchiha fell limply to the ground, unable to open his eyes for a long, painful moment. Nightshade galloped off back into the forest, leaving Itachi alone in the dangerous forest. The shattered lamp that had dropped from Itachi's hand burnt out.

He struggled to open his eyes, blurred shapes coming sharply into focus then disappearing entirely, causing the world to swirl in a mix of strange shapes and colours. Immediately, Itachi's mind began to think of possibilities, anything to get him safely back home. He had to come back for Sasuke's sake.

Itachi wasn't a man that could be easily shaken, even when his eyesight was fading in and out and causing his head to spin. But that cool, calm, collected demeanour he had been keeing up until now slowly dissipated, as another alarming event came to pass.

Itachi cursed silently as his world suddenly went black.

.

.

* * *

><p>This is the longest chapter of anything I've ever written in my entire life. So what did you think? Hehe, in the second flashback I made you think that Sasuke was screwing Naruto into the grass. ;) GEEZ PEOPLE, GET YOUR MINDS OUT OF THE GUTTER, THEY'RE ONLY SEVEN YEARS OLD FOR GOODNESS SAKES! Also, if you understand the quote from BMTH up there ^ tell me, I thought it suited Sasuke's thought process in this chapter.<p>

The updates will take longer because of the chapter length, but don't worry I definitely plan on finishing this! I mean come on, there's still some sexy lemons to come *pelvic thrust* LOL and I apologize for my perverted mind, letting 7 years olds kiss like that… I should be sent to an asylum or something. But because this chapter didn't have Naruto in it and no NaruSasu action I thought the memories would make for good background material. And reminder, though this story is based upon the main ideas of Disney's Beauty And The Beast, this story will be much different as you can already tell.

Agh one more note: nikujaga is meat and potatoes.

Anyway, I'll shut up now. Please review! The ones I got so far made me so happy :')


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